Corrugated container with integral pallet

Abstract

A corrugated container for shipping products includes a product storage compartment mounted and an integral pallet for lifting the container with a forklift vehicle. The container side walls include opposed end panels and opposed side panels. One pair of panels extends to the bottom of the product storage compartment and is integral with storage compartment bottom panels. The other pair of panels extends further than the bottom of the storage compartment to a container bottom and is integral with container bottom panels. The distance between bottoms is sufficient to accommodate the tines of a forklift vehicle. In one embodiment, the side walls are collapsible for storage and transport when empty. Stacking blocks formed of wrapped honeycomb material are positioned between the container bottom and the storage compartment bottom to support the storage container bottom above the container bottom. The blocks are spaced apart to permit insertion of forklift tines.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A container for shipping products, formed of corrugated sheet material, that includes an integral pallet for lifting the container with a forklift vehicle, the container having a product storage compartment comprising generally enclosed peripheral side walls, a bottom, and an open top, the side walls comprising opposed end panels and opposed side panels, the end panels extending from the top to the bottom of the product storage compartment, the side panels extending from the top downwardly further than the bottom of the storage compartment to a container bottom, the distance between the bottom of the product storage compartment and the bottom of the container being sufficient to accommodate the tines of a forklift vehicle therebetween, at least one end panel being integral with a storage compartment bottom panel, at least one side panel being integral with a container bottom panel, the container further comprising a plurality of spaced stacking blocks positioned between the container bottom and the storage compartment bottom so as to support the storage container bottom at its elevated position above the container bottom, the stacking blocks being spaced sufficiently between the side panels that the tines of a forklift vehicle can fit into the space between the storage compartment bottom and the container bottom in order to pick up the container.  
     
     
         2 . A container as in  claim 1  wherein the sheet material comprises corrugated cardboard and the stacking blocks comprise honeycomb material, with the honeycomb material including a plurality of interconnected cells having substantially vertical side walls.  
     
     
         3 . A container as in  claim 2  wherein the honeycomb material is formed of fiberboard and further comprise a corrugated fiberboard wrapper enclosing the honeycomb material.  
     
     
         4 . A container as in  claim 3  wherein the stacking blocks are formed of honeycomb cardboard material having vertically oriented cells that are ½ to ⅝ inches across the cell walls.  
     
     
         5 . A container as in  claim 1  wherein the container further comprises forklift side entry openings in the side panels of the container between the container bottom and storage compartment bottom, the side entry openings being sized and positioned so as to permit a forklift vehicle to pick up the container from the side of the container, the support blocks being spaced sufficiently to permit the insert ion of forklift tines into the container through the side entry openings for container lifting purposes.  
     
     
         6 . A container as in  claim 1  wherein the panels of the container are formed of one or more integral fabrication panels, with each fabrication panel comprising an end panel and an adjacent side panels at least one of the fabrication panels including a storage compartment bottom panel that forms at least a portion of the storage compartment bottom, the other fabrication panel including a container bottom panel that forms at least a portion of a container bottom.  
     
     
         7 . A container as in  claim 5 , wherein the storage compartment bottom panel is contiguous with a lower edge of the end panel and the container bottom panel is contiguous with a lower edge of the side panel.  
     
     
         8 . A container as in  claim 5  wherein the container includes two fabrication panels, each panel including one end panel and one side panel, the fabrication panels fitting together to provide a complete container, the fabrication panels having overlapping flap portions at side edges thereof that fold over and attach to adjacent fabrication panels to form a complete container.  
     
     
         9 . A container as in  claim 8  wherein the two fabrication panels are substantially identical.  
     
     
         10 . A container as in  claim 1  wherein the panels of the container are formed of one or more integral fabrication panels, with each fabrication panel comprising an integral sheet of corrugated material including at least an end panel and a side panel, with an intersection therebetween being scored for folding the end panel into perpendicular orientation with respect to the side panel, at least a portion of the compartment bottom panel being formed from a lower portion of the end panel, with the lower portion being scored for folding the end panel and compartment bottom panel into perpendicular orientation with respect to each other, at least a portion of the container bottom panel being integral with the side panel, a lower portion of the side panel being scored for folding the portion of the container bottom panel into perpendicular orientation with respect to the side panel.  
     
     
         11 . A container as in  claim 1  wherein the panels are formed of a material selected from the group consisting of one, two, and three ply corrugated fiberboard sheeting.  
     
     
         12 . A container as in  claim 1  wherein the side walls have a first score parallel to the storage compartment bottom, and at least one of the end panels and the side panels have a second score arranged at an angle to the first score to facilitate folding a portion of the side walls into a substantially parallel relationship to the storage compartment bottom.  
     
     
         13 . A container as in  claim 12  wherein the second score describes a forty five degree angle with respect to the first score.  
     
     
         14 . A container constructed of corrugated sheet material forming peripheral side walls, a container bottom panel, and defining an open top; the container comprising a product storage compartment and an integral pallet structure, the product storage compartment comprising a product storage compartment bottom panel and the pallet structure comprising a plurality of spaced supports positioned between the container bottom panel and the storage compartment bottom panel to support the storage compartment bottom panel above the container bottom panel, the spaced supports being formed and arranged so that the tines of a forklift vehicle can fit into the space between the storage compartment bottom panel and the container bottom panel and between the spaced supports; and the side walls comprising opposed end panels and opposed side panels, at least one end panel being integral with the storage compartment bottom panel and at least one side panel being integral with the container bottom panel.  
     
     
         15 . A container as in  claim 14  wherein the container is formed of at least one fabrication sheet, the fabrication sheet including score lines for creating a fold between an end panel and an adjacent side panel, between an end panel and a storage compartment bottom panel, and between a side panel and a container bottom panel.  
     
     
         16 . A container as in  claim 15  wherein the fabrication sheet further includes score lines for folding an upper portion of the end panel and an upper portion of the side panel into the open top of the container for reducing the volume of the container.